Thermostat



March 5, 1946. s. VERNET 2,396,138

THERMOSTAT Filed April 7, 1943 INVENTOR Patented 5, 1946 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE 'rnsn'mos'ra'r Sergius Vex-net, Yellow Springs, Ohio, assignmto Vernay I Patents Company,

Yellow Springs,

50laims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in thermostatic devices. v

An object of the invention is to provide a novel thermostatic operating means having oppositely directed pressure-moved members.

Another object isto provide such a means in which each of the members cooperates with temperature responsive material in separate chambers.

Another object is to provide such a means in which the members can have equal movement irrespective of differences or inequality in the forces opposing movements thereof.

Another object is to provide such a means in which the total extent of movement can be readily sub-divided to provide the desired extent of movement for each of the members.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawing to be taken as a part of this specification there is fully and clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which drawing the figure is a view in longitudinal central section through a valve embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, I designates generally a valve housing having a port 2. Aligned with the port there is an opening 3 closed by a cap member 4 which supports a valve and its operating mechanism. Within the cap member 4 there is a bezel ring 5 on which is supported an annular plate 6. Seated on the plate 6 there is an inverted cup-like member I having a lateral flange 8. A spring 9 within the member 4 holds the flange 8 against the plate 6. Mounted through an aperture in the base of member 1 there is a plunger or rod-like abutment member ID having a flange or collar seating against the member 1. The plunger Ill reciprocally fits the bore of a tubular guide member |2 projecting downward from the top wall of the cap member 4.

The plunger l0 reciprocally fits the bore of a cylinder l3 which is supported on a helical coil spring l4 seated on the plate 6. The plunger l0 seats at its lower or inner end on a, deformable sealing plug l5 of pliable elastic material, such as Ameripol or vulcanized gum rubber which is laterally distorted and compressed in the conical portion of a sealing bore IS. The cylinder 3 has an annular surrounding flange I! which serves as a cover member for a cup-like casing 'tive pellet expansions.

l8 having a chamber l3 therein. The plug l3 seats on and is separated from the chamber l3 by a diaphragm 20. Filling the chamber I! there is a. temperature responsive pressure creating material 2| which may be a preformed pellet or body as in Patent No. 2,259,846 wherein the material is of crystalline nature, undergoing a change of state in its operating range. The casing I8 is separated from a similar casing 22 by a wall or partition member 23 which forms the common bottom wall for both casings. A heat exchange fin or flange 24 is preferably provided which extends outward from the wall 23.

The casing 23 has a chamber 25 which is filled with the temperature responsive pressure creating material 26, preferably the same as the material 2|. The chamber 25 is closed and sealed by a diaphragm 21 clamped to the casing 23 by a cover member flange 28 on a cylinder 23. In the cylinder 29 there is a sealing bore 30 having aconical portion for laterally compressing and distorting a sealing plug 3| of the same material as the plug IS. The sealing bore 30 opens into a guide bore 32 in which there is reciprocally fitted a, plunger or thrust rod 33. A helical coil spring 34 acts through a yoke 35 against the plunger 33 urging it against the plug 3|. At its other end the spring 34 seats against a flange 36 on the cylinder 29. The projecting end of the plunger 33 carries a valve member 31 cooperable with the valve port 2.

The operation is as follows: When the temperature responsive element is subjected to heat so that its temperature rises to say F. which is the operating temperature, then the material 2|, 26 will undergo its change of state thereby expanding rapidly with each further degree change in temperature. Since the pellets 2|, 26 are of the same size, they will have the same volumetric change and as each can expand only in one direction, the plungers Ill and 33 will be moved outward. The force exerted by the pellets 2|, 26 is far in excess of any resistance oilered by the springs I4, 34 or by friction. Accordingly the plungers l0, and 33 will be moved outwardly equally or in proportion to the respec- As each pellet expands, it will force its diaphragm against the overlying flange I! or 28 and thereby tend to hold the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm in its clamped relation between the cup and the flange. The diagrams will expand outward away from the partition wall 23 nd into cup-like form in their respective sealing bores l6 and 30 as the expanding pellet material urges the sealing plugs Continued expansion of the pellets will seat the valve member 31 to close port 2. If for any reason, the pressure in port! against the valve member 31 should exceed the force of the spring 9, then the complete valve .unit supported by the spring I, would move upward, compressing the spring 9 so that the valve member I'Iv would open.

By providing a'device as above described, .the length 01 travel of the plungers II and a can be accurately determined thereby making possible the use of thinner diaphragms, and of plungers o1 shorter length. Also, diflerent material can be empl yed for one of the pellets relative to the material in the other thereby to obtain a controlled movement oi the plungersf-both as to extent of travel and as to the temperature oi ing, a helical coil spring surrounding said guide response.

Having thus described the invention, what claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent 01 the United States is:

1. A temperature responsive element comprise ing a body moveable rigid casing, a rigid com mon wall separating said casing into two oppositely facing chambers, temperature responsive pressure creating material in each 01 said chambers, oppositely directed pressure operated memsealed at their outer peripheries tosaid casing. each flange providing an-annular backing'suriace inward of the casing walls. a diaphragm clamped between each flange and said casing, each dia-.

phragm being backed above its chamber by its cover member flange, temperature responsive material fllling said casing and urging said diaphragms against their backing flanges, a resilient sealing plug in each guide bore, 'means holding said plugs against said diaphragms, and a partition dividing said casing internally so that said i diaphragms will be expanded equally by said material. l 4. A device of the character described ,:compri's-i ing a supporting member, a bodily movable casinghaving an open side, a cover member closing said I open side and having a tubular guide'"member, the bore of said guide member opening into'saidcas member and held under compression between said guide member and said supporting-membersuch that saidsupporting member supports said casing, said bore having .a conical sealing portion diverging toward said casing, a pliable elastic bers closing and sealing said chambers, means acting between one of said members and said 'asing and opposing movement of said one member by its responsive material. the other 01 said members being operable to move-bodily said casing, and means opposing bodily movement of said casing by said other of said members.

2. A temperature responsive element comprising an open-ended casing, pressure responsive -members closing and sealing the open ends of said casing, a temperature responsive pressure creating material in said casing and acting against said responsive members, and a wall rigid with said casing and positioned between said members, said wall dividing the material in accordance with the desired movement of said members upon temperature change. V

3. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having its opposite ends open, a cover member closing each of said open ends, each cover member comprising an annular flange and a tubular guide member, said flanges surrounding and extending outward from said tubular mem-; bers to meet the walls of said casing and being resilient sealing plug in said bore ssa- 1as;mny 4 distorted by said sealing "portion-,a' diaphragm clamped betweensaid casing and said'c'overfmem ber and seating against said plug, a plunger in i said guide bore and seatingon said plug, temperature responsive material filling saidcasing, and an abutment engaged by said plunger so that expansion 01' said material will move bodily said casing against the force of said spring. 1

' 5. A temperature responsive element compris a "ing a bodily movable rigid casing, a rigid common wall separating said casing internally'into two oppositely racing chambers, temperature responsive pressure creating material in each of said chambers, said wall serving as a heat exchangemember common to the material in both chambers, said chambers each having an opening opposite said common wall, pressure operated members sealing said openings and said material in said chambers, a control member movable by one of said pressure operated members upon expansion of its chamber materiaL-means abutted by the other of said pressure operated members so that expansion of its chamber material will move bodily said casing and said control member, and means opposing operation of said control member by said temperature responsive material. i r

SERGIUS VERNET. 

